<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Your stars will lead the way by Space_star</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26483614">Your stars will lead the way</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Space_star/pseuds/Space_star'>Space_star</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst with a Happy Ending, Eventual Fluff, Fix-It of Sorts, M/M, Murder, Suicide Attempt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 10:41:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,099</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26483614</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Space_star/pseuds/Space_star</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Kraglin is definitely not coping with the loss of his beloved captain. But it would seem that all is not lost ...</p><p>(Sorry I think I've killed Kraglin ...!)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kraglin Obfonteri/Yondu Udonta</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Your stars will lead the way</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Some days he was ok. He could get up at the beginning of the cycle, have a shower, eat and drink with the rest of the Guardians, even crack a smile at some of their ridiculous shenanigans.</p><p>But some days he really wasn't ok. Some days Kraglin Obfonteri couldn't get his scrawny ass out of the nest he should have been sharing with his captain. He couldn't wash because what was the point? It only cleansed his aching body skin deep. As for eating and drinking? Did slumping in the corner of the bridge with a bottle of some strong smelling concoction whilst Peter and Rocket argued over whether their next job would involve a 'bit of good or a bit of bad' or ' how about both?' count?</p><p>It was an eveing like this when Peter swung round in his chair to ask for Krags' opinion on where they should next make a stop planetside (It was his ship after all .... Or the remains of it anyways) when all he got in response was a hollow stare from once bright blue eyes and a non-comittal shrug. "S'up to you Pete. I ain't your cap'n" he grunted, before lowering his more than slightly intoxicated head to his knees, wrapping his arms around them as he went. Peter sighed and looked across at Rocket, who was looking at Kraglin with a pained look on his face, lip slightly curled back. This wasn't the first time they had seen Krags' like this, but every time it happened it seemed like he was drifting further and further away from them. The little racoon slowly raised from his seat and padded over to Kraglin, paws on his hips. "Come on boy, think you've had enough of that ..." He said as he grasped the bottle of liquor from kraglin's limp hands. Kraglin didn't protest. Rocket swung around, lobbing if across to an unexpecting Peter "think fast!" and barked with laughter as he tripped over himself trying to catch it without spilling the remaining contents. Peter held the bottle up in triumph before taking a long swig of the potent smelling liquid ('spiced rum' he called it), and then carefully placing it onto the floor by his nav chair for later 'consideration'. He then went to join Rocket, crouching down in front of the former first mate. "Come on krags, you wanna talk?" Peter asked even though he knew full well that Kraglin did not want to talk, not in this state anyways. Rocket shrugged at Peter and returned to his seat, after realising that no one was actually piloting the ship. "Up you get" he grunted as he hauled the seemingly lifeless Xandarian to his feet and led him in the direction of his cabin.</p><p>Once there he gently shoved Kraglin through the  door who made straight for the bed and plonked himself down, pulling his captain's jacket tight around himself. If he concentrated hard enough he thought he could still smell him. A small sob escaped from his skinny frame. It had suddenly become all too much; returning to the empty nest every night, with Yondus trinkets lining the shelf by the porthole like they were the only thing left to remember him by. His heart ached. His head hurt. His eyes and cheeks were wet, and he couldn't bring himself to care that Peter was still stood in the doorway rather awkwardly. It hurt him to see Kraglin like this, but he just didn't know what say, let alone do to help ease the other man's pain. The Kraglin he had grown up knowing was strong and fierce, always with a sarcastic comment and a toothy grin to follow. He sighed to himself as he walked slowly over to where kraglin sat silently sobbing into his former captain's crusty old jacket and gently laid a hand on his shoulder, before gripping him tight. "I miss him too Krags. He was a massive asshole but I miss him" he murmured gently "I know that doesn't help, because I know that he was far more than just your captain" </p><p>~ he smiled as he thought back to time he had wandered up to bridge late one night, music box blaring in his ears, only to round corner to the sight of Yondu sprawled out on the captain's chair, Krags nestled in his lap, nuzzling affectionately into his neck. Yondu had looked up and grinned, all yellow and gold teeth, and winked at him from across the bridge. Peter had frozen on the spot, eyes wide and jaw gawping open, until yondu waved his hand (the one that wasn't lovingly stroking through kraglin's messy hair) dismissively. He had taken this as his cue to 'fuck off' and never spoke of it, but from that point onwards he knew that whatever they were to each other, they were more more than just captain and first mate. ~ </p><p>Kraglin looked up with sad, questioning eyes as Peter carried on "don't look so surprised Krags - everyone knew about you two. You were so bad at hiding it! But yeah. You cry if you want to. I won't say a word. I know I can't bring him back but you know I'd do anything for it to be so ... " With a final squeeze of his shoulder and a pat on the back he turned to leave, but not before Kraglin looked up again and spoke oh so quietly "Thanks Pete. For ... Y'know ..." He waved his hand in some sort of gesture between himself and Peter. With that Pete nodded in acknowledgement, a small smile cracking at the corner of his eyes, and disappeared back up the empty hallways to join Rocket on the bridge. </p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>Out in the dark abyss of space, a shimmering blue mist gathered by the trinket lined porthole. Like a cloud of nebula gas it started to seep it's way through the metal ribbing, slowly filling the cabin and surrounding the fitfully sleeping man inside like a cocoon.</p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>Kraglin hadn't bothered to undress before crawling under the nest of blankets and throws. Eventually, after what had seemed like hours and his puffy eyes would cry no more, he had fallen into some sort of intoxicated slumber. He dreamt of a warm solid body wrapped around him, and he felt a peace that he hadn't felt in what seemed like a lifetime. A raspy whisper of breath ghosted his ear as he slept "I'll be waiting for y' boy. They want me to go on but I wont, not till you're with me". Kraglin sighed contentedly in his sleep as he pulled the warm blue body closer around him.</p><p>Kraglin woke with a start. He gasped as cold whoosh of air passed over him. Damn ventilation system. The blue mist was gone, a figment of his drunken dreams. He raised his wrist comm to his his bleary eyes groaned when he saw it was still the early hours of the cycle. He hoisted himself up and slowly but surely the all consuming, aching pang in his heart returned. No point in trying to sleep now, it would be a pointless exercise he told himself as he eased himself out of bed and headed for the door. He stumbled as he bent to grab his packet of smokes and headed out into the silent ship. Memories of a solid warmth surrounding his being filled his mind, and a ghost of hot breath in his ear. Kraglin's lip trembled as tears threatened to run free once more. How long was grief meant to last, anyways? Everyone had said it would get better in time. It had been a full three months since that fateful day on Ego and it still felt as raw as the first ...</p><p> </p><p>Before he knew it he had reached the large door of the cargo airlock. With still trembling hands he fumbled in his captain's jacket pocket for the packet of smokes he had shoved in there on his way out of their cabin. He lifted one to his lips and lit the end, taking in a large draw of the pontent smoke. No need to worry about setting the fire alarms off, he knew full well that they hadn't worked in years. As he stood staring mindlessly  out into the abyss he could have swore that he saw a faint glimmer of shining blue mist wafting in the distance. A trail of red followed, beading it's way around in loops around the porthole. It was beautiful and mesmerising and drew Kraglin forwards, free hand ghosting on the 'waste eject' button. One more draw on the smoke. A hollow laugh escaped his lips. Yup, that's me, just a lump of pointless waste, left behind by the one thing you really cared about. He pressed firmly down, entering the airlock. He moved closer and pressed himself up against the ice cold window, but the shimmering blue mist was gone. The stars and distant planets appeared to wink at him mockingly. You're still drunk you idjit'. Or you're losing your mind. Or both. Ha! He thought to himself as he slid down the cool metal panel of the airlock hatch and crumpled to the floor. He lit another smoke, taking another long, harsh draw, then exhaling a thick cloud of grey . As it cleared, his eyes focused in on the big yellow and black striped lever of the 'EMERGENCY WASTE RELEASE' and laughed to himself again. "You ain't gon' do that you silly fuck" he spoke mockingly to the empty space ... "Even if you wanted to you ain't got the balls ... Never have and never will do. You was always too soft, hid it well, mind, but you are ain't ya, can't even get over your captain leaving ya'" THOUGHT ID BE ALL RIGHT DIDN'T YA YONDU ... " He was shouting now, anger and grief all spilling out, echoing around the metal walls "WELL I AINT YOU SON'UVA BITCH. I AINT OK .... and *I miss you so much I don't think I can survive anymore* He threw the burned out butt of his smoke against the wall, it made it half way before dropping down the metal grate floor, energy drained, anger replaced with the oh so familiar stabbing pang in his heart. Kraglin wasn't going to space himself, deep down he knew this, but he'd come close, and somehow in his mess of emotions it made sense to him that the closer he was to death, the closer he would be to his captain ~</p><p>Suddenly and almighty crack broke the silence and to Kraglin's horror he watched in slow motion as the airlocks porthole window crumbled and shattered, it's thick broken shards sucked out into the black with with a freezing whoosh. Before Kraglin had time to even think about reacting the blue mist was back, pouring in against the vacuum, followed by a speeding line of flaming red. In complete panic and disbelief he  scabbled to hold onto the gridded floor panels to avoid being hoovered out the same way as the shattered glass, but it proved to be in vain because the flaming red line had gained momentum, materialising into the unmistakable shape of a shining golden arrow. Yondu's arrow. Headed straight for Kraglin's heart. He opened his mouth to scream but no sound escaped for decompression had started to take place. A high pitched whistling filled his ear drums. Then there was the briefest moment of searing, burning pain in his chest before everything went hazy. He remembered the blue mist surrounding him. What felt like warm arms wrapping securely around him. Soft words whispered over and over in his ear "I got ya darlin', I got ya ..." Then there was nothing, just darkness. </p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>It was the bug who got to him first. She collapsed in shock at the sight, antenna drooping low over her face. Kraglin's lifeless body sat slumped in the airlock, thick red blood pooling out from the perfectly round hole in his chest. It made for a horrific sight; the breach alarm blaring through the comm system, it's red swooping light swirling and flashing over and over the crumpled body in the corner. </p><p>When Peter came skidding around the corner, morbid scene unfolding around him, he could see that it was too late. He didn't have a space mask to hand. He knew all to well how quickly oxygen starvation and a below freezing atmosphere could take a life. He fell to his knees beside Mantis, somehow unable to look away from the horror in front of him. "No, no ... No ..." Were the only words he could find. The bug slipped an arm around his shaking shoulders, antenna glowing in  a dull rhythm. They knelt on the floor in silence, there were no words. Kraglin couldn't go on without his captain by his side. He had done the only thing he could to take the pain away.</p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>It was only after back up arrived, the damaged porthole welded shut and Drax had hauled the body away the prepare him for incineration, that Peter eased himself down on the same gridded floor where Kraglin had sat only an hour before. Staring blankly at the wall opposite, somehow trying to absorb the nights (or early morning, whatever) events, he spied a faint etching in the metal, just above the floor. He crawled forwards on his hands and knees, squinting to get a better look at the strange marks in front of him. Upon closer inspection he could see that it was a message scratched out, or more like melted, into the metal wall. He recognised that hand writing ...  ~ I took him. Selfish I know. But I did it for him. He was hurting too much ... ~ And then Peter understood. He sat back on the balls of his feet and raised his hand to his face. His grubby palm from crawling across the floor was coated in a blue, shimmering dust.</p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>Kraglin's body was committed to the gods later that day. No time like the present and all that. There were no lights over his grave, just the sparking inferno of the incinerator, surrounded by his remaining comrades and a scattering of trinkets and knives, his only worldly possessions.</p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>It was funny how it happened - Kraglin's return to consciousness .... The first thing he remembered was an overwhelming feeling reverberating through his soul ... A feeling of weightlessness, physical and internal, of relief and calm and ... contentment. Darkness with flashes of beautiful twinkling lights. He was breathing, but he wasn't breathing. Somewhere deep down he knew that was wasn't living anymore, but it didn't bother him. He raised his hands to his face ... But there were no hands, just a familiar looking swirling mass of red mist. He still wasn't particularly bothered by this - no hands? No problem! He floated about in his misty form for a while. Gods the galaxy was beautiful. In the not too far distance he could see the hulking form of the Elector's quadrant. He swirled around again. In the other direction (which way was up, anyways?) he could see a blue mist shimmering and sparkling like a supernova. A warm feeling erupted inside of him. It was drifting towards him. He suddenly felt a desperate need to join it, to become one with his fellow space cloud. </p><p>The two misty swirls finally joined each other and a blinding flash occurred, red and blue twisting and dancing around each other, like blossom caught in a gust on a balmy spring evening. </p><p>When Kraglin gained sentient thoughts again he felt like his heart was going to explode with joy, because grinning back at him was his captain, hands interlaced with his own. He looked down. Yup, he had hands. They were a bit blurred and misty but they were definitely hands. "Hey Krags" Yondu was still grinning like his face may split in two. "Hey cap'n". They floated like that for a while, hands intertwined, eyes only for each other. It was yondu who spoke again first "sorry about, y'know, murdering you ..." He peered deeply into Kraglin's sparkling blue eyes, looking for any hint of anger or hurt. What he got though was a bit more unexpected - a bark of laughter, his eyes crinkling at the corners "s'ok cap'n, I think I can forgive you, ju's this one time. I wasn't really living since ya left me, see. I think ya knew that" Yondu reached forwards, planting his hand firmly against his first mates heart. "Course I knew, ya idjit'. I could feel ya. Feel ya hurt. Cos it hurt me too. Thas why I couldn't move on. They want us too ya know. I c'n feel it, like they tryna pull me away somewhere, somewhere I won't be able to come back from ... " he paused "... But you didn't want to leave without me ... " Kraglin finished for him. He felt his eyes welling up. In a past life he would have been embarrassed, tried to hide it from his Captain's piercing gaze, but that was where things like that belonged, in the past, because he could see tears in Yondu's eyes too. They reached forwards simultaneously and their lips conjoined. It was slow and sweet, all tongues and teeth and wet cheeks. Yondu's hands found his first mate's fuzzy mohawk, combing shaking hands through it over and over as they floated together in the vast expanse of the galaxy, the stars and moons and distant planets their only witness. Kraglin emitted a whine from deep in his throat. Yondu grunted happily in response, before slowly pulling away. Kraglin eyed him questioningly, head cocked to the side, lips slightly parted. "We got us all the time in the world darlin'" Yondu whispered, hands still carding though his mate's messy hair "but I think we gotta get going ... can you feel it too?" Kraglin nodded, eyes wide. "Don't worry ... I got a good feelin" he patted his chest "in here. We going somewhere good, ju's you and me Krags" Yondu whispered the last part in his ear, kissing him tenderly down the line of dark tattoos running down his neck. "Come on ... let's go Krags ... " "Aye captain" </p><p>Yondu's hand linked with Kraglins once more as they leisurely drifted towards the brightest shining star. They didn't know exactly where they were going or what was coming next as something deep inside both of them pulled them onwards, but it felt good and right and nothing else really mattered in that eternal moment. Captain and first mate, side by side facing whatever the galaxy threw at them, together. </p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I have been reading fanfiction for many, many years, but have never been inspired (until now ) to give it a go myself. So here it is! My first ever fic about my absolute favourite pair of idiots :D</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>